I would love to hear your opinions on phasing off temporarily to go on vacation. This is not just any vacation, but Hawaii. I am not planning to go crazy and eat pure junk, but I do want to have the option of a glass of wine every now and then and possibly some off programs foods. Though I have heard that rice is a staple there, I am choosing not to have any. I truly have appreciated the changes I've seen in my body and I do not want to go back to my old ways of eating. (I see it, I want it, I eat it) In the time I've been on IP I've seen plenty that I've wanted but have empowered myself to say no and to choose to stay on plan.

I also plan on running when I'm there (to hopefully off set my slight dietary changes). I already have an appointment to weigh in when I return and plan to get back on IP and reach my goal.

My center said yes I can totally do this. But like I said, I'd love to hear what my community of IPers think. Thanks

Hi! I am currently in the process of phasing off for a 10 day trip to Europe. Initially, I wasn't going to start IP until after my trip, but I've lost almost 25lbs in the interim, so I'm glad I didn't wait! My coach and I planned a "mini" phase off from the beginning with this trip in mind. I am doing 1 week of phase 2 and 1 week of phase 3 in the 2 weeks before my trip. I actually just started phase 3 this morning. In my opinion, if you are going to a destination where you cannot be in control of the food choices you have, phasing off is the right decision. I, like you, intend to eat responsibly while on vacation, but I know there is no way I am going to go to Paris and not have a glass of wine or cheese and bread. If you are honest with yourself and honest about how you will eat while in Hawaii, I think the answer will be clear.

I should say, as I posed in the daily thread just this morning, that I feel like I'm cheating on my diet because I'm not ready to be eating carbs, etc. again! It's been a very strange transition, psychologically.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...phase-off.html

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...long-post.html

Do it, enjoy your vacation with one absolute promise to yourself that it's game on when you're back. When the wheels lifted off I was 'off' when the wheels touched down it was "GAME DAY!"

Ishbel, how long had you been on IP before your trip? Do you know how long Jenny was on before hers? I am concerned that I am "too new" and my body won't bounce back quite as well as yours did. I have been on for 8 weeks.

I phased off to go on a 2 week road trip vacation to Florida... I gained 8 lbs (give or take a few depending on the scale) while I was gone. I originally had planned to do phase 3 while there but I was having issues with heat and not eating enough and being SUPER active (compared to what I normally am).... I watched so I didn't eat tons of junk but did have a few drinks and a few more carbs than I originally planned... oh and I drank some soda which hadn't for over a year!

The big thing is getting back on plan when you get back, I have already lost 3 lb of what I gained while I was gone (got back 2 weeks ago) and that was going back to Phase 3 eating and not getitng back to Phase 1 yet.... I have been liking fruit too much! lol

Good luck!

FYI I had been on IP for almost 8 months before my trip... and lost 88 lbs at that point.

I am leaving tomorrow for a 16-day RV trip. I plan on staying OP, with extra protein/packets for hiking days.

But if I were going to Hawaii, I would totally phase-off, not for beach drinks, but for all the wonderful fruit! How many times are you going to get to go to Hawaii? Part of traveling is trying new food! IP will be here when you return.

I think I had one month left after vaca till goal (12 months on Phase 1), stats are in my goal album. It's a mental game, beginning and an end just like the diet. The skills you gain during phase 1 are the same mental skills you use in maintenance. I don't think it's how your body responds but more how determined you are.

Make a list of reasons why you started this, how far you've come to get this far and what type of mental work you've completed to get you here. Also, find a before picture and take a right now picture. Make this a poster for you to review everyday on vacation and then when your home post it on you bathroom mirror to read EVERYDAY!

I phased off for different reasons but I have my P1 restart date already firm.
Driving home from vaca on 7/28. P1 restart 7/29. Hoping 12 more weeks of P1 will have me at goal by Halloween.

Weight loss is a mental challenge, not a physical one.
Have the head in the right place & getting back on P1 is just part of the plan, just like a daily meal plan.

Thanks for the thread links. I already told my coach to come to my house and kidnap me and bring me back to the clinic if I don't show up to my scheduled appointment when I return! Actually I am so happy with my results thus far that I really want to reach my goal. I am very motivated to jump back and finish what I've started.

Thanks for your input. We are on the same page. I couldn't imagine visiting Hawaii and staying on Phase 1. I mean, I could do it, but it truly wouldn't be very enjoyable. I hope you have a great vacation in Paris! Sounds fabulous

I love these links. Thank you, Ishbel!! I'm going to do some reading and research before my trip in early September. Planning ahead is key!!

I am not familiar with the concept of phasing off for a vacation. Is there a benefit to doing this if you know that you are not going to be 100% OP?

Phasing out allows your body time to adjust to "new" foods it hasn't had in a long time. The larger volume of foods and dramatic increase in calories, fat, carbs, etc can really do a number on your gut!! Even eating "carefully" off program can cause stomach issues. When you phase off by moving through P2 and P3 a few weeks before your event, you allow your body time to adjust to the change in eating patterns with minimal or no issues.

There may be other reasons to phase out temporarily, but this would be the most immediate concern when going from P1 to "more" food.

I phased off for my first vacation away with my husband since having a baby 21 months ago.

I continued with my running, which I did 3 times during that week. I made smart choices, I made bad choices, and allowed myself to enjoy the food if I was someplace where I couldn't "get this back at home." So I tried a small piece of bread from a place that was well known for the bread and I had a beer from the microbrewery. (But I didn't have a full piece of bread and I didn't have more than one beer.) We went to the Cheesecake Factory and I had a salad but we got cheesecakes to go to have after dinner that night. I ate it in stages--which surprised me--because I couldn't handle the whole thing! We had Indian food one night and I ate the rice but only a small scoop instead of a bed of rice. I ate naan, but not the full piece I used to eat. When we went to pick up our daughter, I had a piece of banana cream pie (but my mom made it with no sugar pudding or something) and I ate two s'mores. I felt so sick that night. There were tastes of onion rings and french fries throughout the week but just tastes, not whole orders of them. When I came home, I fully expected a 5lb gain. I almost fell off the scale when it said .6lbs. However, my belly and arms felt flabbier than they had the week before.
I have spent the last week slowly re-entering the diet, slightly conflicted about committing 100% right away since my birthday is Monday and we are going out to dinner with family on Saturday and having some other family over on Monday...My plan is 100% on protocol starting the day after my birthday.

So, in summary, don't go overboard, make smart choices, keep up your exercise routine (if you have one) to the best of your ability and most importantly, have a great time.